More road closures coming for high-speed rail construction

More road closures are in store for drivers as high-speed rail construction continues in Fresno and Madera counties, including a couple of rural roads that are in for extended shutdowns and detours east of Madera.

At the south end of Fresno, the southbound lanes of Golden State Boulevard are closed to traffic between Jensen and North avenues for utility relocation work connected with the rail project. That’s the area where work is happening on a viaduct that will ultimately carry high-speed trains up and over North and Cedar avenues and Highway 99.

Those southbound lanes will be closed through Aug. 4. A detour will take drivers onto Orange Avenue to Railroad Avenue before reconnecting to Golden State south of the construction area.

In Madera County, full road closures will begin Aug. 21 and last for 18 months on portions of Avenues 11 and 15 as new overpasses are built over the future high-speed rail route as well as the existing BNSF Railway freight tracks.

Avenue 11 will be closed for a stretch of just over a mile from Road 31 to the BNSF tracks. For drivers heading west on Avenue 11, a detour will run north on Road 32, west to Avenue 12 and south on Road 30 1/2 back to Avenue 11. Eastbound traffic will go north on Road 30 1/2, east on Avenue 12 and then south on Road 32 to Avenue 11.

A few miles to the north, Avenue 15 will be closed between Road 29 and Santa Fe Drive, a distance of about 2,000 feet. Westbound drivers will be detoured north on Road 36, west on Highway 145 and then south on Tozer Street back to Avenue 15. Drivers heading east will be rerouted north on Road 28 1/2, east on Avenue 15 1/2, north on Yosemite Avenue and then south on Road 32 back to Avenue 15.